# Better Auth vs Keycloak

| Attribute | Better Auth | Keycloak |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 64.4 (39% (low)) | 65.4 (46% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 210 | 678 |
| adoption.github_stars | 30,292 | 37,140 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | 11,857,147 | 998,112 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Better Auth is an open-source framework for building authentication directly into TypeScript applications using code-based configuration. It provides 50+ authentication methods and integrates with 20+ JavaScript frameworks, supporting features like social login, passkeys, multi-factor authentication, and enterprise capabilities such as SAML and SCIM. It is indexed under Auth & Identity Software.","source":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","question":"What is Better Auth?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Better Auth is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $20 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","question":"Is Better Auth free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Better Auth. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does Better Auth support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Better Auth can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","question":"Can Better Auth be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 21 integrations for Better Auth, including Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Hono, Google, GitHub and Apple, plus 13 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","question":"What does Better Auth integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Better Auth is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth","question":"Is Better Auth open source?","confidence":0.99},{"answer":"Better Auth is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","question":"Where is Better Auth available?","confidence":0.5}]` | `[{"answer":"Centralized authentication and authorization platform that manages user identity and access control across applications, reducing the need for individual apps to build their own login systems. It is indexed under Auth & Identity Software.","source":"https://www.keycloak.org","question":"What is Keycloak?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Keycloak is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.keycloak.org","question":"Is Keycloak free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Keycloak supports the web, Windows, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.keycloak.org","question":"What platforms does Keycloak support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Keycloak can be deployed on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.keycloak.org","question":"Can Keycloak be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 10 integrations for Keycloak, including GitHub, Google, Facebook, Twitter, LDAP, Active Directory, Kerberos and Kubernetes, plus 2 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.keycloak.org","question":"What does Keycloak integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Keycloak is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak","question":"Is Keycloak open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open-source authentication framework that provides multiple authentication methods including social login, passkeys, passwordless auth, and enterprise features like SSO and directory sync, with optional managed cloud infrastructure for auditing and security monitoring. | An open-source identity management solution that allows users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications, eliminating the need for individual login handling at the application level. |
| features.capabilities | `{"mfa":true,"oidc":true,"rbac":true,"hosting":"both","saml_sso":true,"hosted_ui":"headless","open_source":true,"passwordless":true,"social_login":true,"b2b_multi_tenant":true,"passkeys_webauthn":true,"scim_provisioning":true}` | `{"mfa":true,"oidc":true,"rbac":true,"hosting":"both","saml_sso":true,"hosted_ui":"both","open_source":true,"passwordless":true,"social_login":true,"b2b_multi_tenant":true,"passkeys_webauthn":true,"scim_provisioning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 4 | 8 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Next.js"},{"name":"Nuxt"},{"name":"SvelteKit"},{"name":"Astro"},{"name":"Hono"},{"name":"Google"},{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Apple"},{"name":"Discord"},{"name":"Passkey Authentication"},{"name":"Magic Link Authentication"},{"name":"Email OTP Authentication"},{"name":"Two Factor Authentication"},{"name":"Username Authentication"},{"name":"One Tap Authentication"},{"name":"Phone Number Authentication"},{"name":"Anonymous Authentication"},{"name":"Bearer Authentication"},{"name":"Generic OAuth"},{"name":"One Time Token Authentication"},{"name":"SIWE Authentication"},{"name":"Cloudflare","native":true,"category":"social"},{"name":"Microsoft Entra ID","native":true,"category":"social"},{"name":"Yandex","native":true,"category":"social"}]` | `[{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Google"},{"name":"Facebook"},{"name":"Twitter"},{"name":"LDAP"},{"name":"Active Directory"},{"name":"Kerberos"},{"name":"Kubernetes"},{"name":"Apache APISIX"},{"name":"OpenTelemetry"},{"name":"OpenID Connect","native":true},{"name":"SAML 2.0","native":true}]` |
| language.primary | TypeScript | Java |
| license.spdx | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Starter","summary":"Free","features":["User management","Audit log","Security detection","Abuse protection","Email templates","Community support"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For evaluation and side projects","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"dashboard_seats":"1","audit_logs_per_month":"10,000","audit_log_retention_days":"1","security_detections_per_month":"1,000"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$20/month base, plus per-usage overages","features":["Unlimited seats","User management","Audit log with overage","Security detection with overage","Transactional Email & SMS","Self-service SSO","Directory Sync","Dashboard RBAC","Email support","Slack support"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For production teams running auth in the critical path","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"dashboard_seats":"Unlimited","audit_logs_per_month":"20,000","audit_log_retention_days":"7","security_detections_per_month":"10,000"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing","features":["Custom usage and retention","Custom domain for Dashboard","Log drain","Dashboard RBAC","Custom MSA and DPA","Slack support","Implementation assistance"],"description":"For organizations with bespoke security or volume needs","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Custom domain for Dashboard","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":25,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Log drain","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":25,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"SSO connection (additional)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Directory Sync connection (additional)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free tier available. Pro from $20/month. Enterprise custom pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://better-auth.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T12:12:32.259Z","startingPrice":{"amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://www.keycloak.org","retrievedAt":"2026-09-07T13:10:46.299Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | mid | free |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":20,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 2 | 13 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.8","date":"2026-10-14T17:50:35Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.7","date":"2026-09-30T21:29:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.6","date":"2026-09-24T15:56:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.5","date":"2026-09-14T22:10:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.33","date":"2026-09-14T22:04:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.33"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.32","date":"2026-09-14T18:45:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.32"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.4","date":"2026-09-10T11:34:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.31","date":"2026-09-10T09:19:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.31"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.3","date":"2026-09-06T03:02:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.2","date":"2026-08-26T19:03:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.1","date":"2026-08-18T18:51:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.0","date":"2026-08-18T00:23:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.30","date":"2026-08-17T19:09:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.30"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.0-rc.6","date":"2026-08-14T18:19:37Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.7.0-rc.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.29","date":"2026-08-14T18:18:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.29"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.28","date":"2026-08-13T22:39:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.28"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.0-rc.5","date":"2026-08-11T22:16:46Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.7.0-rc.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.27","date":"2026-08-11T17:59:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.27"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.7.0-rc.4","date":"2026-08-05T00:26:40Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.7.0-rc.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.26","date":"2026-08-04T21:19:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.26"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/nightly","date":"2022-09-27T02:22:00Z","type":"prerelease","version":"nightly"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.8.0","date":"2026-10-01T05:57:20Z","type":"stable","version":"26.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.7.5","date":"2026-09-30T17:44:19Z","type":"stable","version":"26.7.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.7.4","date":"2026-09-16T14:44:06Z","type":"stable","version":"26.7.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.7.3","date":"2026-08-31T09:29:37Z","type":"stable","version":"26.7.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.7.2","date":"2026-08-19T05:26:20Z","type":"stable","version":"26.7.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.7.1","date":"2026-08-05T15:54:37Z","type":"stable","version":"26.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.7.0","date":"2026-07-09T06:58:13Z","type":"stable","version":"26.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.6.4","date":"2026-06-26T19:19:51Z","type":"stable","version":"26.6.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.6.3","date":"2026-06-04T17:00:13Z","type":"stable","version":"26.6.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.6.2","date":"2026-05-19T12:41:03Z","type":"stable","version":"26.6.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.6.1","date":"2026-04-15T13:58:02Z","type":"stable","version":"26.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.6.0","date":"2026-04-08T08:54:19Z","type":"stable","version":"26.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.7","date":"2026-04-02T14:47:13Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.6","date":"2026-03-19T06:45:39Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.5","date":"2026-03-05T15:40:30Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.4","date":"2026-02-20T09:19:45Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.3","date":"2026-02-10T07:30:08Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.2","date":"2026-01-23T14:26:58Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/tag/26.5.1","date":"2026-01-14T18:09:13Z","type":"stable","version":"26.5.1"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | - | 9.3 |
| security.trust_center | https://better-auth.com/blog/security-update-june-2026 | https://www.keycloak.org/security |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=auth&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=org.keycloak%3Akeycloak-server-spi&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Auth & Identity Software)

| Capability | Better Auth | Keycloak |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | Cloud + self-hosted |
| **Methods** |  |  |
| Social login | ✓ | ✓ |
| Passwordless | ✓ | ✓ |
| Passkeys / WebAuthn | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-factor auth | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Enterprise** |  |  |
| SAML SSO | ✓ | ✓ |
| SCIM provisioning | ✓ | ✓ |
| B2B / multi-tenancy | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Standards** |  |  |
| OpenID Connect provider | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Hosted UI | Headless | Both |
| **Access** |  |  |
| RBAC | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Self-hostable OSS core | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:28:39.792Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*